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Draffa Bastii
A race of asymmetrical creatures from the far Coreward area of the Delta Sector, the nocturnal Draffa Bastii are one of the most unusual races in the known galaxy. Confined to a single planet, they are nonetheless very advanced for an Industrial Age society, having produced the Planetary Teleporter, a useful piece of technology coveted by every other star-faring race in the region. Due to several circumstances unique to them, they are very reluctant to deal with other races and keep contact to an absolute minimum. Basic Characteristics *''Type'': Unknown *''Durability'': 5 *''Learning Rate'': 8 *''Science: Excellent *Navigation: Average *Tactical: Average *Engineering: Good *Communication: Average *Medicine: Good *''Genders: 1 *''Life Stages'': Adolescent at 23 months. Adult at 81 months. Middle Age at 135 months. Old Age at 198 months. Venerable Age at 284 months. *''Lifespan'': 290 + 16d10 months *''Height'': 0.68 meters; 0.56 + (2d5 *0.04) meters. *''Mass'': 30 kilograms; 22.5 + ((2d5 from height) * 1.5) kilograms. *''Niche/Symmetry'': Omnivorous Irregular Consumer *''Speed/Transit'': Multiped, 5 m/rd (3 kph) *''Volume'': 0.03 m^3 *''HD'': 51/45/56 *''HP'': 50 *''Unarmed Damage'': 3 NHP *''STV'': 39 MU (1300 MU/m^3) Physical Description The Draffa Bastii are unique among the sentient races of the Sector in that they are asymmetrical, not radial or bilateral. They are small in size, purplish in color, and have a linear body that, if completely stretched out in an unnatural fashion, would still reach less than one meter in length. Their typical posture is to anchor their numerous legs to the ground, forming a base, then form a loop with the rest of their body, so that the section housing their major sensory organs doubles back over. This sensory node section terminates in a single, large eye that has a tapetum lucidum (which helps them see in the dark), and always has a yellowish iris. Immediately behind this, and on the creature’s right side, is a smaller eye which is capable of seeing in the infrared spectrum but, unlike the large eye has no tapetum lucidum, and therefore exhibits no eyeshine. As is typical in creatures of the night, the Draffa Bastii have exceptional hearing. Just behind the two eyes, along the curve of what is sometimes improperly referred to as the creature’s ‘neck’, is a flower-like structure that is the Draffa Bastii’s ear. Each strand of it is specifically attuned to a different frequency of sound, giving them not only very accute hearing, but also exceptionally detailed as well. Because of this, Bastii’s can tell easily tell the difference between individual speakers of other races, and are never fooled by any sort of voice duplication technology. Aside from their legs, the Bastii have two other noteworthy appendages that emit from their lower torso (if such a word can be ascribed to them). The first, on their right side, is a pincer, which they use for fine manipulation and cutting, but also to make intricate clicks, which they use to communicate verbally with each other. The second, on their left, is a stalk-like protrusion that terminates in their ‘mouth’, which they use to ingest and taste. Since they do not also breathe through this apparatus, the Draffa Bastii are incapable of choking to death. At the front of the Bastii, just under their large eye, are six small pinkish stalks, which are used to detect odors. Again, their sense of smell is keen, on par with that of the turkey vulture. Draffa Bastii are relatively short-lived creatures, reaching adolescence in just under two years and having a maximum lifespan of less than forty years. They reach sexual maturity between their seventh and eighth year; copulation takes place by having two members of the opposite sex lay on their sides and entangle their legs together, in which are hidden the reproductive organs. Young are produced in live births, one per five month gestation. Draffa Bastii pairs may have more offspring, but usually stop by the female’s twelfth year. Couples mate for life, and if one partner dies, the other does not seek a replacement. Space Units Not Applicable: Species is Non-Starfaring. Ground Units This gives a general listing of the vehicles available to the given race. Engaging the ground units of a species in combat will have the same general effect on the player's relations with the species as engaging their units in space. The mineral composition of ground units will be the same as that listed for space units, though the amounts will be somewhat lessened. Indication of "turrets" for a ground unit allow the unit to fire a weapon in any direction; otherwise, the unit must face their target before they may attack another unit. Ground units always include a very generic description of how the unit will appear. Ground Units in general use the same ratings as space units, but have a few additional properties as outlined below: * Still need a response on energy. **''Melee'': An attack that can only be delivered when that object's collision area is touching the collision area of its target. **''Flat'': The speed/efficiency the unit travels on flat land. **''Mount'': The speed/efficiency the unit travels on steep mountains. This will likely be determined by rapid changes in planetary elevation, though the exact amount of elevation change necessary has not yet been determined. **''Liquid'' The speed/efficiency the unit travels on a liquid surface (possibly also including ice and cooling lava.) No Data Available at this time. Territory The Draffa Bastii are a non-starfaring race. They can only be found on their home planet of Bastii, located at δ242x164, p1, which is within a nebula in Ng-Kher-Arla territory and the closest inhabited world to the Delta Sector Anomaly. The Draffa Bastii are a very high level Industrial Age race. Their level of technological development is such that if they were to ever pursue faster-than-light travel, they would probably achieve it in a very short period. It's thought that their natural shyness prevents their willingness to pursue FTL flight, combined with their current economic status. Their greatest achievement is the planetary teleporter, a device capable of instantaneously transporting any small craft to a pre-programmed point on a planet's surface. During their initial forays into the Delta Sector, many Interstel captains installed planetary teleporters on their ITVs with their destination points locked onto their parent starships; this effectively doubled the range of most ITVs. The Draffa Bastii have a moderate population density. Most of the species can be found along the northern shorelines of the main continent where the temperature is moderate, though there are some that live on the secondary island continent and a few that live in more inhospitable areas. *'Patrol': **''Alpha Sector'': None **''Delta Sector'': None **''Beta Sector'': None *'Space': **''Alpha Sector'': No Sphere of Influence **''Delta Sector'': No Sphere of Influence **''Beta Sector'': No Sphere of Influence *'Star': **''Alpha Sector'': None **''Delta Sector'': None **''Beta Sector'': None *'Worlds': **''Alpha Sector'': None **''Delta Sector'': Bastii (242x164, p1) **''Beta Sector'': None Status The Draffa Bastii keep outside contacts restricted to trade, and even that is dispensed with as quickly as possible. To that end, they have contact only with the Arla, the Humna Humna, and the races of the Empire. Interactions between Draffa Bastii and these races are quick and formal, and once transactions are completed, the merchants retire quickly. It is certain that the Bastii do not consider any of these alien visitors as friends or allies, simply the means by which they procure Grow Goo from the Nga-Seng-Diul. *'Ally': **''Initial'': None **''Final'': None *'Enemy': **''Initial'': None **''Final'': None Economy *'Economic Status Levels': **''Bastii'': Depressed *'Specialty Trade Goods Purchased': **Grow Goo (Bastii*; δ242x164, p1) *'Specialty Trade Goods Sold': **None Supplemental Information The Draffa Bastii are the Sector’s shyest race; were it not for their need for Grow Goo, it is doubtful they would interact with outsiders at all. Their existing contacts they restrict to trade, and even in this area, they make known to alien species that they simply wish them to do business as quickly as possible and leave. There is no bartering involved, and any attempt to do so simply makes them run out of patience very quickly. While somewhat more engaging with each other, their entire society is somewhat cold and formal as a rule, with only family groups showing any sign of emotional warmth and informality with one another. The race’s desire for Grow Goo is instructive. While they do have a regenerative ability already, and have largely learned to avoid circumstances that cause them grievous injury, the prey mentality of this race continually drives them to procure the substance against the day when they may need it en mass. While they do use it in medical procedures, their rate of purchase far outstrips their use of it. The Draffa Bastii are recognized as very intelligent, and are arguably the most advanced Industrial race in the Sector; until recently, their closest competitors would've been the Ch-Q-Tss-T (who have since become starfaring). They do not put a great deal of effort into communication, however, and even translated material can be difficult for other races to parse through and understand. Contrary to expectations, they are fairly curious, a fact that is reflected in their high level of technological development, as they are very willing to explore new concepts; it is just that they never allow their natural curiosity to overcome their innate distrust of other sentient races. Two of the race’s most prominent characteristics, shyness and nocturnalism, have overlapping causes. Unlike many nocturnal creatures, the Draffa Bastii chose endogenously to be active at night, in part because their world is particularly warm. This helps them to avoid losing excessive amounts of water to heat. Also, however, their world is home to two of the Sector’s most dangerous forms of animal life, Dark Lightning and Brass Harpooners, and two other only slightly less hazardous examples of megafauna, Psychic Blasters and Black Acid Squirters. Avoiding this plethora of lethal creatures led primitive Draffa Bastii to adjust their circadian rhythms to better avoid predation. Although technological advancements have obviated the need for this in modern times (at least in regards to animal predators), they have chosen to remain nocturnal. However, their first otherworldly contact did little to change the Draffa Bastii’s point of view. The Ng-Kher-Arla fortunately first found them in their Arla phase, and warned them about the dangers posed by the other phases (the Kher and Ng); however, in meeting their dicey neighbors, the Draffa Bastii also discovered that their next nearest neighbors (the Xxr) were a race of the homicidal tripeds; found out about the addicted Aeoruiiaeo and their Kher enablers; heard of the Humna Humna and their penchant for price gouging; and learned of distant Umanu and their energetic use of lethal microwave rays. In addition to spurring the development of the Teleporter, the Draffa Bastii took all of this as the universe’s second warning to them to keep their ‘heads’ down and stay out of sight. They did not require a third. The Draffa Bastii wish to keep the Grow Goo imports rolling, but otherwise wish for other species to leave them alone. They are not above allowing new races into their trade centers, but only as a means to an end. Unless something drastic were to happen to change their outlook, other races should not look to them as a source of friendship. Importance The Draffa Bastii serve no purpose within the game aside from being a trading partner; they are thus a potential revenue source for the player. Communication Text As a non-starfaring race, the Draffa Bastii had no comm text in SF2 (aside from their greeting message in trade), and will likewise have no comm text in SF3. All text for this species will be handled by the Trading and Commerce Module. ---- NEXT: Lieu Vadish PREVIOUS: Djaboon TOP ----